A Prize as a Salutation

My first encounter with Professor William Bynum was in 1998, as I waited with much nervousness in the corridors outside the lecture theatre at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. A greeting and encouragement, both provided in a booming voice, was just what a young research fellow, keen to impress in what was widely regarded as a mecca of learning, required. My seminar was completed without incident, thanks in great part to the self-belief that this generous stranger had been able to impart in a matter of minutes. Some years later, I was offered a lectureship at the newly formed Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London (WTCHOM). I joined up with great excitement, as it offered me the opportunity to work with a number of renowned scholars; I also looked forward to getting to know Bill better and was keen to learn new skills from him. I was not to be disappointed. Despite not being formally chosen to be my academic mentor, and being busy with a variety of projects, Bill was always generous with his time and academic links, ensuring that he was around to help his young colleagues settle quickly and easily. The WTCHOM was, in 2001, blessed by visits by brilliant scholars from all over the world, by easy access to the splendid Wellcome Library and Archives, and by incredibly generous levels of support for research and teaching provided by the Wellcome Trust. It was an easy place to get overawed by; Bill's good-humoured mentoring ensured that this did not happen to the Centre's intake of lecturers, research fellows and doctoral students. His support enabled – indeed, empowered – young scholars to ask probing questions of the existing historiography and actively push disciplinary boundaries. Bill was plain speaking and did not have much time for pretentious academics, whose sensibilities were often the most brittle in the face of incisive and honest feedback. But, as an observer with a prime ringside view, I marvelled at the depth of Bill's scholarship as he posited numerous questions after the many academic presentations organised at the WTCHOM. There was something magnificent about the man – he would always seek to end his barrage of enquiry with something positive, providing even the most inexperienced and hapless presenters with cause to remain enthusiastic about their chosen research. It became very apparent, in my ten years …